As I’ve hinted, my life has been crazy busy over the month of September. For a couple weeks—with subbing, a commission, writing, and art markets—I was literally doing four jobs at once. Yet I was okay. Of course I had my moments of stress, but for the most part, I was making sure that I was eating regularly, exercising, Bible study, and down time each week, all to keep me focused on the present. If I had three things to do in a day (subbing, illustrations, and commission), I only focused on what I was doing in the present moment. That helped me to keep reality in check.
I attempted not to multitask, as much as possible. When I was a substitute teacher I was chatting with the kids, following a schedule, and seeing how I could help the office during “conference times”.
Then when I was driving, I either kept it silent or listened to music. I wasn’t listening to an audiobook or my writing podcast, unless it was a longer trip to market.
As I was painting, I wasn’t thinking about my to-do list. If I got distracted I would stop and write it down, then continue with the work. I was able to put the rest of the day aside for a few hours.
My illustrations for my books were the hardest. Between the time I woke up until around 7:30 or 8 at night, I was trying to squeeze in as much illustrations as I could. Since a couple things got moved around, I was not able to focus as much attention as I wanted on finishing my art book and continuing my graphic novel. I did what I could, but especially in this area, time was tight. However, my art book, Inspire, is now out and available to order! Click here or go to my book page on this site.
It’s not easy to have weeks and even months of busyness. Say no to things when you can, prioritize what needs to get done that day and that week, and be consistent. When you say that you’re going to spend two hours writing or drawing (or whatever your creative venture), don’t spend that entire time researching, getting coffee, cleaning. Believe me! I’ve been guilty of all of this. But to accomplish things until everything smooths out, it’s best to stay focused in concentrated moments, rather than try to multitask for hours. Believe it or not, I am great at multitasking (thank you, teaching!). However, when you’re attempting to stay present and to lower stress levels, one thing at a time is much better for your mental health. Maybe I should write a blog on the scientific research on that…but I digress.
Keep working; stay focused,
Hannah Marie.